Process of moistening shoe-uppers.



O. P; JOHNSON.

PROCESS OF MOISTENINGSHOE UPP-ERS.

v APPLICATIONY HLED OCT. 5. 1914.

PatentedJ u-ly 18, 1916. v

2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

0. P. JOHNSQN I PROCESS OF MOISTENING SHOE UPPERS.

APPLICATION FILED OCT. 5. 1914.

1 1 9 1 ,3 1 5. I V Patntd July 18, 1916.

2 SHEETS SHEETQ.

I 'TTORNEY.

l V EdTATEd :osoAn, s. JOHNSON, OFNASHUA, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

PROCESS OF MOIS'FENING SHOE-UPPEBS.

-T' all uhom-it may concern Belt known that I, 'OSCAR P. JOHNSON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Nashua, in the county of Hillsboro and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Processesof-Moistening Shoe-Uppers, of-

which the following is a. specification.

ess' of treating. the fore part of the upper,

v especially the toe part, witlrsteani o'f'a fl-such cracking or other damage is muchrev relatively low'temperature and at a low pressure applied from inside while the upper is held in such a position that what ever steam. condenses will not run onto the other parts of the shoe and will not come in contact withthe outside oft" the-upper.

the leather. cracking. The likelihood of duped by properly softening the leatherby the application of Vaseline, water or vapor before it is pulled over and in performing -these operations while the stock is, moist.

I ,am aware that prior to my invention water and water vapor have been usedfor this purpose but I believe that I am the first to use steain- I believe especially that -I am the first to use-steam applied underneath the upper while the unfinished. shoeis held upright that is'with the upper at the top and especially with the toe inclined downward;

My'process may be carried out with v arious machines some of which are shown in the accompanying drawings in which Figure 1 is'a side-elevationot a shoe being treated on a machine such as 1s described in Letters Patent issued. to

Fig. 2 is a plan view thereof. "Fig. Sis a side elevation showing a modification of the above named machine especially adapted for soften ng the toe ca'p. Fig. t is aplan View of part thereof. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of a hand operative device which may be used; It is desirable in softenlngthe tore part of shoe uppers that the outside which is Specification of Letters Patent.

There is much difliculty in the pulling over andlasting operations on account of I but free at the fore part.

me March'lL 1913, No. 1,055 754 part of theabove being shown in section.

partly finished and is to be further finished into Water or if the tore part' of the un finished shoe on the last is put intoa chamber filled with water, vaporor steam there Wlll be more or less coiidensation and ir- Patented July 18,, 1916. Applicationfiled amber 5,1914. Serial No. 865,162.

regular saturationwhich will, leave stainson the finished product! Such stains are very ob]ect1onable.

; My process is especially desirable in preparing the upper for what are known asthe' or for both.

represents the last for a shoe and B the lining of the fore part thereof while 0 represents the upper and 10 the fore part of side pulling or the bed lasting operations the upper. In Figs. 1 and 2, this is shown as tacked to the last at the heel and shank .D is a bench through which passes the vertlcal steam tube 11 into a 'steam cylinder 12 having a long tudinal hp 13 curved up- .15 is a supporting bar which runs parallel with the 11p 13at such a (listanceand at such a he ght that when the/toe oi the .lastis inserted under lip 13, the sole of the last or the inner sole 19 w ll. rest on supthrough main pipe 1.1 and steam cylinder 12 into lip 13 and out through. the perforations 14: at the top thereof, it comes directly in contact with the inside of the upper and the I ward-and backward as shownin Fig. 1 and having perforations 1& 1n. the'top as shown.-

lining and is well distributed thereunder.

lVhate'ver steam may condense or whatever water may be carried along with it runs around the toe 16 of-the last and drops ofi' oirthe bench or. groundwithout' doing anyinjury and without staining the stock. Lip 13 is preferably curved in such a way as'to fit with substantialcloseness to the'under part of theupperwhich is to be treated.

Before the first process of pulling g ver on the side pulling machine, the fore part nally so as to fit under it. In the next process, however, of forming the toe in'what is 'known as the bed lasting operation, as

shown in Figs. 8 and 4:, the upper is tacked I to the last A down to the beginning of the toe cap at. 20f So tacking the upper naturally draws in the leather in such a way that it will not fit a longitudinal lip and I therefore use-a lip of the shape shown at 21., in Figs. 3 and-4.. In Figs. 3 and 4:, the

bench D is the sameand also the main pipe Thesteam cylinder 22 is substantially the same as 12 except that it has attached thereto instead of lip 13 one or more ohlique tubes 23 each of which terminates in a hooded lip 21 of such shape that the toe 16 of the lastcan fit comfortably inside thereof and can preferably rest on the end 2% of the tube 23. As the toe 16 of the last rests on 2d and the leather of the upper extends over lip 21 in contact with the openlugs 25 therein, the support ng rod 26 can.

be placed behind the center of gravity of the last if desired. The operation is the same as in the first described apparatus as when the steam passes through main. pipe ll steal cylinderQltube 23, lip 21 and out thi h outlets 25, it comes directly in co tact ith the inside of the upper leather oi? the toe and whatever drip there may be from condensation runs down underneath and drops off onto the bench or floor.

I may use a hand process such as shown in Fig. 5 if desired. In such case, T use a con ductor 40 from any suitable source of low pressure steam and I attach at the end thereof a fish tail end or lip 41 having suitable outlets 42 in one face thereof. This lip d-l may be substantially flat or curved to con form roughly with the top of the last as preterred. Tnusing my process with this device, the last A carrying the upper C may be held in the letthand L in such position that v the toe will-incline downward while the con- 'ductor tt is held in;the right hand M and the lip 41 is inserted between the upper and "obtained by holding the last in: a hori z-iuital position. p

' My-process is the moistening of the fore part of the upper of a shoe, while on'the last and while it is held in an upright position or with the forepart inclining downward by riensia introducing steain'under said upper or under the fore part thereof, especially wet steam of low pressure and low temperature. lit includes any method-by which that'which is to be the inner side of the upper While in the under position is brought in cont ct with steam. Y

I claim:

1. The process of inoistening the fore part of the upper of a shoe before it is attached to the inner sole which consists of placing it on a last, of holding the last in an upright position andof introducing steam underthe upper between it and the last while the outer side of the upper is out of contact with said steain as described. i

2. The process of -moistening the upper of a shoe before it is attached to the inner sole which consists of holding the upper in an upright position and of introducing steam under it while the outerside of the upper is out of contact with said steam as described; 3. The process of moistening the upper of a shoe before it is attached to the inner sole which consists of placing it on. a last, of holding the last in an upright position with the toe inclining downward, ot' inserting-a steam conveyor with a plurality'of small out" "lets at the top between the upper and the last, and of forcing steain' through; said outlets.

The process of inoistening the upper of a shoe which consists of holding the upper in anupright position and ot bringing the underside in contact with steam while the outer side of the upper is out ofcontact with said steam.

5.' The process of moistening the upper of a shoe which consists of holding theupper in an upright position and of bringing the underside in contact with steam of low tempe 'ature and'of low pressure while the outer side of the upper is out of contact with said stean1.- v

6. The processof nioistening the upper of a shoebefore it is attached to the inner sole which consists of holding the upper in an uprightposition and of introducing under-it wet steam of low pressure and of low temperature while the outer side of the upper is i of the fore part ofthc upper of a shoe while on the last and before it is attached to the inner sole which consists of holding it in an upright position and of introdudng wot i the inner sole, which consists of placing it on a last, and of introducing steam between the upper and the last While the outer side of the upper is out of Contact with said steam a I descnbed.

9. The process of moistening the fore part of the upper of a shoe before it is attached to the 'inner sole, which consists of placing it on 2 1v last, and of introducing steam of low pressure ,and low temperature between the upper and the last while the outer side of the upper isout of Contact with said steam.

In testimony whereof I hereto affix my signature'in presence of two witnesses; 1

- OSCAR P. JOHNSON.

Witnesses: y

ALVIN J L'UCIER, STEPHEN L. HALLINAN. 

